Horse-twitch.



H. W. MBCALL'. HORSE TWITGHr APPLICATION mm DEC. 29. 1911.

1 EWYMQQQ Patented Feb. 26,1918.

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INVENTOR- HEMZM Ame/ms HUGH w. MQGALL, or soorra, NEBRASKA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedheb. as, rare.

Application filed December 29, 1917. Serial No. 209,4.35.

To all whom it maywncern:

Be it known that I, HUGH W. MCOALL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Scotia, in the county of Greeley and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Horse-Twitch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an instrument to be applied to a horses nose to control the animal while administering medicine, shoeing, or the like, and. particularly relates to that type of device in which a loop. is passed onto the nose or upper lip and then tightened so that the device is suspended in position.

The particular object of the invention is to provide a device for the indicated purpose of very simple construction and adapted to be conveniently applied and tightened by one man, whereby it may be successfully employed in situations where a second man is not present or available to render assistance.

Other objects of the invention and the advantages of the novel construction and arrangement of the parts will appear as the description proceeds.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a. part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a partly sectional side elevation of a twitch embodying my invention, showing the loop in the loose condition ready to be applied to the animal;

Fig. 2 is a partly sectional side elevation with the parts in the position they assume when the device is securely applied to the animal;

Fig. 3 is a rear end view;

Fig. 4 is a cross section on. the line 41- 1, Fig. 2.

The instrument embodying my invention 7 includes a loop 10 in the form of a continuone strand of rope or the like. Said loop is carried by an elongated slide bar 11 oblong or otherwise non-circular in cross section, operating in a tubular body or casing 12 of corresponding interior form in cross section to constrain the slide bar 11 to longitudinal movement without turning. The loop 10 passes through an oblong slot or transverse opening 13 in the reduced end 14 of the slide bar 11 and has comparatively free play therein. The slide bar 11 has greater length than the body 12 whereby to be capable of being projected through both the front end and the rear end of said body and said slide bar for its major portion has mutilated coarse threads 15 thereon so that the bar presents two flat sides and threaded edges. Threaded on the slide bar 11 at the rear end thereof is a handled nut 16 presenting handles 17 at diametrically opposite sides. With the free'longitudinai movement permitted the slide bar 11 in the casing 12, said bar may be moved forwardly for the nut to come to a bearing against the rear end of the body or the nut may be quickly run on the slide bar to a bearing against the rear end of the body.

The manner of manipulating the device thus described and its mode of functioningsteady the forward portion of the instrument.

The loop is thus passed onto the horses nose and the instrument is then manipulated to turn the body and slide bar relatively to the loop to give a sufiicient twist to the latter to cause it to tighten upon the nose to an extent to defeat any effort of the animal to withdraw his nose. The manipulation of the loop is facilitated by the free movement permitted the same in the oblong slot 13 since it is free to run through the loop and also to have a limited movement longitudinally of the bar so that the user is not cramped or restrained in the manipulation of the loop while firmly holding the instrument. The loop having thus been twisted, the nut is manipulated to draw the slide bar rearwardly, thereby completing the tightening, the twisted portion of the rope being at the same time confined to that portion of the loop within the housing.

It will thus be observed that the device forms distinctly a one-man twitch, the service of an attendant being wholly unnecessary. Also, it will be noted that the parts are few in number and strong and durable to do away with any liability of their getting out of order. It will be evident also that the operative movements of the parts are positive in eifecting the tightening. To remove the device all that is necessary is to hold the casing while running the nut backward suliicient to permit the loop to become loose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A horse twitch including a tubular body, a slide bar freely movable longitudinally in the body, the bar and body being oblong in cross section to constrain the bar to slide Without turning when given movement in the body, said slide bar having'a mutilated thread thereon for the major portion of its'length and being of a length to be projected at both ends beyond the body, a handled nut threadedon the slide bar rear- Ward of the body and adapted to bear against the rear end of the body, a loop on the slide at the front end, said loop consisting of a rope of unbroken continuity, said slide having a reduced frontend and there being an oblong slot in the said reduced end extending transversely through the same, through Which slot the loop passes and has a free running movement and in addition a movement longitudinally of the bar.

2. A; horse twitch including a tubular body, a bar freely slidable in said body and constrained against turning movement relatively to the body, said bar having a mutilated thread thereon for a major portion of its length and havin a length to project beyond both ends of tie body, a handled nut threaded on the slide bar rearward of the body and adapted to bear against the rear end of the latter, the bar being movable in the body under the action of the nut to bring the front end of the bar Within the body, and a continuous loop of flexible material carried by said bar at the front end, the front end of the body having a size to accommodate the rear end of the loop in twisted form when the bar is drawn into the body.

HUGH TV. MCCALL.

@opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01 latents 'Washington, D. 0. 

